Sunday, 12 July 2015

chisled phase 1 near complete & sunday meal prep details

I've been working out now for 12 days straight now, I feel good but I must admit I do feel kind of tired. I'm used to working out for 6 days and resting for 1 day. I've also upped the cardio.

Weighed in slightly heavier today, which was quite unusual but it might be the pizza from last night. It was my one cheat meal for the week.

Got my meal prep for the week done too.
This week I've got 2 meals to take with me to work everyday.
Meal 1 consists of 100g of white potato (boiled), 120g baked wild salmon and 40g of boiled peas.
Meal 2 consists of 110g of boiled long grain rice, 115g of fried minced beef rump and 40g of boiled peas.
Breakfast should consist of 1 slice of brown toast and 2 scrambled eggs. My meal before bed time will also probably consist of a can of tuna (100g), 1 hard boiled egg and a slice of brown toast with cream cheese.

Believe it or not I'm actually looking forward to these meals as I'm feeling kind of bloated as I'm writing this.

I've also got over this sore throat that was bugging me for the past 4 days, now that I'm thinking it could have been the reason why I was feeling kind of tired. Roll on Monday, lets finish phase 1 and get the week started.

Till next time.

Dan.

Saturday, 11 July 2015

Who blog? Me blog!

Man what a busy weekend it's been so far. Been running all around the place to try and get a new bed and mattress for my son. Thankfully it's all done and dusted.

Managed to fit in a great chest work out this morning from the chiseled program I'm on. Think I'm on day 12 or so and its going really well. I've dropped 2kgs so far so my actual weight is now 74kgs.

Another thing which is so amazing is the amount of views I've had so far on my blog. It's been over a thousand hits in under 3 weeks which is actually insane, I never expected that but I am really happy. Remember guys leave a comment and let me know how you feel and follow me on Twitter. I've got some pics up there and will be posting more soon.

Life has just been so hectic for the past few months. My son has finished his first year at school. Work has been really demanding and I've been dieting now for over 15 weeks, so all in all everything is taking its toll. The other day I realized that I've played the ps4 I bought in January maybe 3 times which is ridiculous.
To make things worse I've told myself I wouldn't play it again until I get a new tv to fully enjoy the experience. A few TV suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated. I really don't know where to start. Also been having problems with my laptop, I must say my iPad is a life saver.

I'm looking forward to tonight. Just gonna chill, reply to some emails and watch a movie. Need to get some rest in for my work out tomorrow which happens to be Sunday. Sunday is also meal prep day so I've got that to look forward to. After that it's just rest to prepare myself mentally for another work week. I know you guys can relate.
I'll be back soon.

Dan.

Thursday, 9 July 2015

Pewdiepie - My thoughts!

So I don't know if you guys have heard of Pewdiepie. To be honest I've only recently come across the guy, he's a youtuber who apparently has the highest following on his channel.
Seems like the guy started out in college filming himself playing video games and the rest is history.

The reason we're here though is it seems like this guy has been scrutinized because he earned something ridiculous like $7m from his channel. This guy has been running his channel for over 5 years now so my idea is 'right place right time', that's when youtube was really taking off and all the people who launched channels back then have definitely enjoyed success.

Pewdiepie uploaded a video addressing the fact that he banked so much cash and the bottom line was 'haters gonna hate' which I can respect to a certain extent. In all honesty if I was in his position I would have done the same thing. I dont really like the guy himself as he seems to be quite full of himself and kinda qeird in my opinion but who am I to judge. We all have our flaws.

Bottom line is this guy has enjoyed success due to his hard work and persistency and I think it is a lesson we could all learn from. I try to stay true to the idea that hard work pays off, its not always easy but we continue to do the best that we can do with what we can do.

Till next time.

Dan.

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

We be Bloggin Vol. 1

Trying to think of a title that would grab people's attention, hopefully this does the trick and if it does I will definately release more :)

Its been a crazy 2 weeks so far since I started this blog, I've been trying to blog everyday after work. Its not always the easiest thing since I'm up early to work out, work 11 hours then come home and catch up on some blogging.

The reason I started doing this was to help people, I'm trying to think of topics and share ideas which I think would help people. I go by a principle that if I found it useful then somebody else might as well.
Bear with me if my thoughts are all over the place as I'm still pretty new to this and I'm even still coming to grips with the whole lay out.
Seems like 'Dad Bod' has been the most viewed article I've released so far, don't know why but in all fairness I did read up about it when the whole subject was a hot topic.
I must say it was a very touchy subject so I'll leave it for now and maybe come back to it at a later date.

For some reason I'm finding writing online to an unknown audience liberating, its almost like sharing ideas with unknown faces and I must admit it is kind of appealing. I wonder if people feel the same way when writing books?? Why do we get this urge to share our thoughts and feeling with others or at least other we don't know???
Maybe I'll find these answers at some point, but my main focus at the moment is completing my 8 week training program. I will be posting some snaps on twitter as I go along. Feel free to follow and share your thoughts.

Seems like that's all for the first volume as time is getting on and I have to get to bed to be up early.
Hopefully I will have more content up before you know it.
Till next time.

Dan.

Tuesday, 7 July 2015

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

These wise words, spoken by someone I admire deeply. The relevance and power of these words is unbelievable.

You can take these words and associate them with any aspect of life but today I'm here to talk about dieting and getting your meals ready to help you stay on track.

Every single Sunday, come rain or come sunshine, I wake up, cook breakfast for the family and once I'm done I start cooking my meals for the next 5 days (Monday to Friday). This allows me to to stay on track and not miss any meals, it also allows me to know exactly what I'm eating when I'm busy at work.

I usually do my food shop on Friday. My regular purchases are beef, fish, eggs, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, oats, rice and cream cheese. I somehow manage to fuse all these items together to make 20 meals (4 meals a day for 5 days). I will share my recipes in future if that interests you guys, this will allow me to let you know what works for me, we'll even get into some macro break down.

Having all my food ready makes it easier for me to not to stray from my goal which might not seem so pleasant at 5am. Early starts are a must for me to cope with my training, job and family life and this is why that Sunday cooking is so vital as I simply dont have time during the week. I even go as far as getting my clothes ready the night before as well as packing my bag for the day, all that is left for me to do in the morning is brush my teeth, eat and get dressed.
It is easier now as its summer time and its actually light at 5.30am however the dark, cold winter morning are far more challenging.

Guys remember proper preparation prevents poor performance. Apply these words however you like but it works. Words spoken by a true master of his art Mr Kai Greene.

Till next time.

Dan.

Monday, 6 July 2015

5 days of chiseling, a blogless weekend & new kicks

It felt weird not sitting down and gathering my thoughts to write but it was an eventful weekend none the less.

First of I managed to get through to day 6 of the chiseled program. Must say I had really good work outs over the weekend. Once again I recommend this program to you guys, don't take my word for it, just try it.

I also got myself a fresh new pair of Nike free run 5.0s like I said I would do. I even took them for a spin on Sunday. Such comfort, once again try them yourselves.

Some weekend indulgence was not missing either. Had some ice cream with my son and a deep pan pizza with the missus. Everything was back on track after that, so yes I do cheat but there is a time and a place for everything.

One last thing for today is that I was chatting to the missus who suggested that I should blog about stuff relevant to my female audience, so just to let you guys know that its in the works too.

Still the start of the week so this was a quick one but stay tuned for more. Till next time.

Dan.

Friday, 3 July 2015

100 plus views in a day :)

Just keep coming back guys! well chuffed with this!

The Chiseled Program.

Just finished day 3 from the 'chiseled' program on bodybuilding.com!

I've been dieting for the past 14 weeks while doing 2 other programs. Once I finished those I was looking for something new. Came across the 'chiseled' program trailer on youtube and signed up straight away. You do need a bodyspace account to get the workouts but that just takes 5 minutes to set up if I remember correctly.

The mixture of cardio and weight lifting seems to be perfectly balanced out and should do the trick.

I started following K Ejam on twitter since he created the program. Cool thing is loads of people who signed up for the program are tweeting about it constantly so its great for motivation. The guy has also retweeted my messages a few times which I thought was pretty cool.

Just remember guys, these programs are great but always keep your diet in check. The great thing about this program is that its got a dedicated nutrition segment to help everyone. You can also find information about supplementation and full workout details. So check it out.

Spread the word and get chiseled. haha. I know I'm going to.
Follow me @mcclean_dan

Dan.

Thursday, 2 July 2015

Nike free run 5.0, you just have to!

Does anyone know what its like to run on clouds?? Well I guess not and neither do I but I bet that it feels pretty damn close to running with these new 5.0s.

I've had these for a few weeks now and I must say they are the best pair of shoes I've worn in a long time, plus everyone knows that they look really awesome. The colour choices are infinite too!
In fact I'm going to buy my second pair as I've come across a lightning blue pair with highlighter green Nike swoosh, I just have to.

I really do love these shoes, you can do anything with them from running outdoors to sleeping with them, yes they really are that comfortable. The only drawback is heavy dead lifts, once you rack up the weight the shoe does get a little wobbly so I would prefer something with a completely flat bottom. For any other kind of lifting this shoe works just fine. I've always been a Nike fan but these shoes have just cemented my love for the brand.

Don't take my word, try them yourselves.

Till next time, leave a comment and follow me @mcclean_dan

Dan.

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Words of encouragement

It would seem that we are all trying to better ourselves but I cant help but notice so much negativity all around. Some one is always going to try and put you down if not by their words by their actions.

Stepping into a new gym, every one gets that feeling that your being watched and your always going to find people staring like you just walked out of some different dimension. Dont get me wrong youll find nice people too so I dont want to put any one off trying a new gym however I think there will always be that territorial feel to it.

Ont thing for sure though is that if your doing something good or even if you look good, people are going to hate, its inevitable, its human nature.

However every now and then you come across a breath of fresh air, just the other day I was out jogging and noticed another guy doing the same, coming at me from the opposite direction. When we crossed paths we both smiled knowing that we were doing what needed to be done.

Reflecting on that experience I have told myself that I would do the same with anybody else I come across from now on, you never know it might make their day.

Until next time keep sharing that positivity in whatever it is you do.

Dan.

Tuesday, 30 June 2015

off subject IPHONE 6 WRAPS!

Just had to share this guys.
https://slickwraps.com/devices/phones/ios/iphone-6-skins.html
This stuff is insane.
I'm a huge Iphone and Iron man fan and if your the same just click the link and let me know how you feel in the comments below.
Enjoy.

Monday, 29 June 2015

Hanging on to muscle for dear life. (ON)

As the title indicates, no one wants to loose their hard earned gains when trying to cut up for what ever reason it may be.
One thing that works for me or at least seems to be working for me is consuming 1g or protein per lb of body weight and I currently weigh 165lbs so you guys do the math.
I know some fellas need to bump up that intake to at least 2 grams of protein per body weight, but then again everyone is different so just try and experiment and you will know when your in a good holding state.

My favorite way of in taking at least 50g of protein with under 250 calories is by having a whey/casein shake. Big shout out to Optimum Nutrition for creating some amazing supplements, seriously guys get your hands on some gold standard whey and gold standard casein, it is everything its cracked up to be.
One scoop of each mixed with some water gives you some slow release and fast digesting protein in under 250 calories. When cutting up this is amazing.
Honestly I don't have this more than once a day and too many shakes make me feel bloated but each to their own.
Give it a try, this has worked miracles for me.

Nevert forget good old fashioned food, that is the most important source of nutrients.
More about that in the future.
Don't forget leave a comment, tell me what works for you guys and follow me on @mcclean_dan.
Till next time.

Dan

Sunday, 28 June 2015

Motivation and staying focused

Motivation is key to success in whatever you want to achieve in life. I know I might sound like a life coach but I'm helping myself as I'm typing this because its not always easy to stay focused with so many distractions around.
Seems like even those closet to you might try and plant seeds of doubt in your mind but you just have to push past that, just like Arnie said 'ignore the nay sayers'.
One thing I also notice is that when other people see the your level of commitment and motivation, everyone wants to put you down or label you as 'obsessed', my answer to that is yes I am obsessed with my goal and vision. Most of these people dont have any goals themselves so they just drift around hoping for something good to happen.
When I'm having a bad day or feeling kind of down I just turn on some youtube videos to get me back on track, a few people to name a few Kai Greene, Mike Rashid, Ct Fletcher, their videos just inspire so check them out, they just might help you guys too.

All I'm saying is that when you want something so bad, the world might become a lonely place but there are always people on the same page, it might just take some time to find them.
Till next time.
Feel free to leave a comment, I'm also getting  into the whole twitter thing @mcclean_dan, so feel free to follow.

Dan

Saturday, 27 June 2015

Success 100+

Day Four,

This is a quick one today guys, been a hectic day with my young one. Just thanks for the 100 plus views in the 4 days that I've been on here, never expected that, this keeps me motivated so I really hope that in turn my words can help motivate you guys. Thanks again.

Dan

Friday, 26 June 2015

Spot Reduction Fat loss!

Day Three,

Weve all looked up this subject or tried some rubbish regime to try and lose the the belly and get those abs out or maybe for the ladies to try and bring out that butt, the thing is these things never work and they are a load of crap, hear me now a LOAD of crap and it doesnt work.

It took me a while to realise this but the only way to get those abs out or tone that butt is to DIET, DIET and DIET.
I'm sure lots of you might be aware of this but then i will bet all the money I have that other people still believe you can spot reduce fat, sorry guys it just doenst work that way.
You have to diet and there is no other option.
Basically in a nut shell it works out to the science of consuming less calories than your BMR, I will get into this in more detail in a future post and also share what worked for me.

So guys just to let you know from my experience its just lowering your calorie intake to help reduce your overall body fat percentage and once you hit that 11-12% body fat, the abs will definitely start showing and you will be more vascular overall.
Like I said I will definitely share what worked to help me bring down my body fat percentage from 20% down to and abdominal revealing 11%. In the meantime leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter @mcclean_dan.

Dan.

Thursday, 25 June 2015

Arnold Schwarzenegger a true inspiration.

Day two here,

Thanks to everyone who had read my blog so far.

One of the reasons I'm getting into this is the fact that I am a great admirer of  the great Mr Olympia, the one and only Mr Schwarzenegger. This man has achieved everything he has set out to accomplish and that amazes me, such determination. I've been following him for the past 2 years during my fitness journey and have recently purchased his book 'Total Recall' which is his story from day one.
Ive read through about a quarter of the book so far and I have to say I would recommend it to any one who needs inspiration. I will also let everyone know what I think once I've read the whole thing, but so far two thumbs up to the main man himself.
If this man inspires you in the way he does me please check out this vid from a speech he gave at a convention in Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tclI52KPiIA.
I do hope you find this as useful as I have to keep on track.

Feel free to drop comments on how you guys feel about the main man himself and also let me know if any one else has read his book, remember I'm just trying to help motivate others as others have done for me. Much love.

Dan


Wednesday, 24 June 2015

New journey. The Dad Bod.

Hi guys,

This is all new to me. Never been much of a blog follower but I decided to give this a go as I've recently been inspired to give back to people and feel that this is a good start.
As the title indicates, I decided to talk about the whole dad bod subject. Yes I am a dad and now slowly nearing my thirties. When I was 25 years old I weighed an unhealthy 115 kilograms that is over 250 lbs for you guys overseas. I stumbled across CT Fletcher's youtube channel and it changed my life.

Cut a long story short 2 years later I currently weigh a healthy 76 kilograms or 167 lbs (roughly 13% body fat). My next goal is to compete in a men's physique show and see how far I can take it.
I will definitely get into more details as  I go along so bear with me.
Im new to all of this and currently in the process of updating my google+ profile as well as my blog. I also joined body space on bodybuilding,com and need to update my profile there too.

My main goal here is to help motivate people to achieve a goal in there life as I have managed to do my self with the help of others and that in a nutshell is the way I plan on giving back to the community. So stay tuned, much more is on the way.

Dan